The Democrats should have no illusions: Hate-America runs far deeper than Bush and will persist in Germany and elsewhere long after Bush has left office. In fact - Bush has become a convenient way for many European America-haters to justify and deflect scrutiny of behavior and attitudes rooted in far deeper resentments.

One could compare this long-standing anti-Americanism to a recurring virus that periodically falls into relative dormancy just beneath the surface - only to erupt into full-blown disease when triggered by the right set of circumstances. (For example Iraq, stationing missiles in Europe, Vietnam, etc.) This cyclical explosion of irrational resentment - aided and abetted by major segments of the left-leaning German media seeking to profit from it - often clouds and overshadows honest attempts on both sides of the Atlantic to discuss and resolve differences of opinion on issues of utmost geopolitical importance.

Comments

"Es" or "it" seems to be speaking when the German journalists report. What they report, though, is a mix of opinion article, very little observance and a lot of prejudice. As with the Jews, so with the blacks in America. "Es" or "it" seems to be speaking when many German journalists write. The left is probably worse in their clumsiness, because they think they're immune to it.
You know what? It doesn't even matter whether the German journalists you speak
to agree with you about their off-kilter views and extreme biases. They know
their audience. So despite their agreeing with you, which they always inevitably do or else they'll pretend they don't recognize the propaganda as such, they will ALWAYS write and print it.

I had a lot of contacts with Germans and other Europeans as fellow tourists and coworkers in Latin America back in the 70's and 80s. At the time I detected no anti-Americanism from the Germans I met. While anti-Americanism was a sentiment I heard from a minority of the other Europeans I met, it was there. As the article points out, it is not as if anti-Americanism were nonexistent in Europe before Dubya.

I should have read the link to the Spiegel article on the controversy about “Uncle Barack’s Cabin” before submitting my previous comment. Here is the English and the German commenting at Taz on whether or not “Uncle Barack’s Cabin” is racist or not. Is it perhaps not coincidence that the commenter who maintains the term is racist has an American name, and the commenter who maintains the term is not racist has a German name.

The Spiegel article points out that Taz had a 2004 article that referred to Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice as "Uncle Tom's Rice." Here the clear intent was to insult Secretary of State Rice. So in 2008, Taz maintains that the situation has changed, and “Uncle Tom” no longer is insulting.

For those Germans who believe that blacks in the US do not consider the term “Uncle Tom” to be insulting, Taz should provide a selected group of Germans with all-expenses paid trips to the US. Drop them off in black neighborhoods. Harlem or Bed-Stuy in New York, Roxbury in Boston, Anacostia in DC, South Side in Chicago. Wherever, whatever. Instruct the Germans to strike up conversations with black/Afro-American males, the bigger and more muscular the better, and have the German call the black/Afro-American male(s) “Uncle Tom(s)". Document the time it takes for the Germans to suffer grievous bodily harm after calling a black/Afro-American male an “Uncle Tom.” Prediction: well under 10 seconds, on the average.

The Taz article points out the old saw that what most German believe they know about the US is much less than what they actually know about the US. Any publication in the US that had such a headline would face a firestorm of condemnation from all quarters within hours of publication.

Is this opium of the masses tone characteristic for that writer or is it TAZ bias?

If "Uncle Tom" stands for the accusation of being distracted from rebellion by a misguided faith, its mentioning in context of the Jeremiah Wright controversy seems quite odd, because it can hardly be said that this man would have been distracted from rebellion.

"One could compare this long-standing anti-Americanism to a recurring virus that periodically falls into relative dormancy just beneath the surface - only to erupt into full-blown disease when triggered by the right set of circumstances."

Don't you think it's amusing that the Germans have the nerve to criticize the black situation in America when they have their Turkish minority tucked away in ghettos so isolated from the rest of German society that native born Turkish-Germans speak German with Turkish accents??

Why does the German civilization keep getting destroyed by the rest of the world?? No, it's not the Kaiser or Hitler IT'S THE GERMANS THEMSELVES!! They just have to be unlikable and go against the grain at every opportunity.

Now they are making themselves hated not only by us but by the rest of the European countries they seek to deprive of their sovereignty in order to gain more power for themselves. It looks like the Irish just made the old Europe a little older. My advice would be to start building a lot of weapons as soon as possible because you're starting to be a real pest yet again. Don't make us come back there again, it really is getting old.

Hey Germans, if you want more power in the world try working more than 35 hours per week, stop brainwashing your citizens with your pathetic media machine and most of all move past 1945!! Oh, and shut up in the meantime too. Whining is not the way to be respected.

Texas Blueblood, the possibility exists that multi io was speaking with tongue in cheek, in jest. That is why I made my reply as neutral as possible. Given the unique German sense of humor, it is often problematic for Amis to determine whether or not Germans are being humorous. Similarly, it is often difficult for Germans to determine whether or not Amis are being humorous. I have written some posts in Medienkritik which to my mind were dripping with sarcasm or jest , which German posters took straight. Humor is definitely one difference between Germany and the US at least, and perhaps between Germany and other countries.

But this is not a uniquely German/Ami issue. It is not even solely an issue between different cultures. I have seen other postings on other blogs in other countries which to my mind were written in jest, which some others took very seriously. I have a neighbor whose sarcasm meter is stuck on zero. I will say something in jest to her which she will take quite seriously. Time and again.

Because I am very inclined to speak in jest, I am more inclined to see it in others, such as in multi io's posting.

Texas Blueblood, the possibility exists that multi io was speaking with tongue in cheek, in jest.

I initially intended to write "you bad, evil, filthy racist" or something like that. There are certain quips that just have to be made, everytime the possibility presents itself, and it's always funny to see how half the recipients take it the wrong way :-P

Man, we can't see the look on your face to tell if you're joking!! The truth is I like Germans or I wouldn't be here although a great many are annoying me quite severely. I went to Germany in late 2006 and didn't have any problems with Germans. They are at least respectful enough of a people not to directly let you know that they don't like you. You just have to pick up a newspaper and they'll let you know then.

Also, Germans, when an American asks you "how 'ya doin'" there are only 5 acceptable answers.

1. good
2. fine
3. ok
4. hello
5. hi

Even if you are having the worst day of your life these are the only acceptable answers as no one really cares how you are actually doing. It is a polite greeting and not intended literally.

"Oh, my tooth hurts and my daughter is failing history.."

NO, NO, NO .. bad German!!

Also, the beating a German would receive from a black guy in the South Bronx by greeting him with "hey Uncle Tom" would go down in history as one of the most spectacular beatings of all time. The truth is that you would probably receive a mild beating just for being there. Now you don't want to stereotype all black males in America as being violent, but you've got a pretty good chance of running into some thugs in some of the poorer sections of our cities.

Texas Blueblood: re being assaulted in poor areas...when I lived in Houston, I usually stayed in the East End- Harrisburg/Milby area.For those who don't know Houston: poor, Hispanic. Perhaps because when I first moved to Houston, I stayed at anglo cousins' houses that were in the area, and I became comfortable with the area. My working in Latin America and fluency in Spanish also contributed to my comfort level. The only time in my life that I was mugged occurred once in the East End. As I had no $ on me, the muggers took my eye glasses. Even that was not big deal, as I had ordered new eye glasses the week before.

What was ironic about this was that my muggers were white/anglo! In the mostly Hispanic East End!

Depends upon the area of the country you're from TB -- around here you'd also be well within the appropriate range of response if you stated:

Oh, I guess I'm doin' OK.
or
Oh, could be better, could be worse.
You could also probably get away with talking about a sore tooth and your kid's grades as well; just don't expect folks to stand around and talk for more than a few minutes -- unless of course they already know you.
Rural downstate IL is notorious (or famous, depending upon the way you view such things) for this sort of thing (yes, folks still stop in the middle of the street and talk each other up -- not as though any traffic delays are really going to happen).

As for calling a Black American an Uncle Tom? -- I know a fair number of Black people, and I think they'd probably just look at you like you'd taken leave of your senses if you went up to them and called them one, then they'd ask you what was wrong with you (as you'd come off as being just insanely rude and quite possibly not quite right in the head). Now, if a person pushed the issue they might get mad, but I think the general reaction you'd get from just about any American (including a fair number of crackers) would be suprise (and a general agreement that the speaker was obviously not from around here).

As for 'Uncle Barack's Cabin' -- I'm from IL, and know a bit about Mr. Obama. Call him bad names all you want -- that guy has his master(s) all right, and its known as the Chicago Machine. That's the only allegiance he swears a fealty to and the only interests he serves outside of his own. If he gets into the WH, folks shouldn't expect much more than that.

And no, I'm not a conservative, nor am I a Bushie; this fellow's just from my neck of the woods; remember what familiarity breeds.
Thank the higher powers that you Euros can't vote in our elections, seeing as how (at least from your/our medias say) you so enraptured with the man (just like my erstwhile leftist buddy, who's also suitably hoodwinked). 'Hope and Change' -- ha! ha! ha! oh, too rich; I've got to wipe the tears from my eyes now, ha! ha! ha!

And I too have never had any bad dealings with any German -- known a fair few, married to one, and only had occasion to dislike a couple (people should be taken on an individual basis; there may be such a thing as national character -- but it's been my experience that those are the very traits we find most charming and likeable in the individuals we are on good terms with, and most loathesome and detestable in the ones we don't care for).

I'll also add that I grew up in an area of the U.S. that's always habitually been strongly ethnic German -- as a kid I can well remember quite a number of bi-lingual households, not so much anymore, but it's still there. And a strongly pro-German sentiment came along with this. I know the Germans who did come out here to the sticks were a bit suprised it -- its a pity I suppose that more didn't see beyond America's coastline or major metro areas, as there really is quite a bit to my country that gets missed/dismissed by foreigners, and probably shouldn't be.

I suppose its also a damn crying shame there isn't one country on the face of this planet where the folks aren't all rushing out to take the proverbial pee in their own backyard well either.

I live in The Woodlands, but grew up in N. Houston. In 1994 there were major floods in Houston and a kid who lived in my dorm got his car stuck in the water. When he went to go get it some black guys in the third ward found that he had no money so they beat him up and stole his pants. He came back to U of H with a police windbreaker around his waist.

You're right though Houston is mostly Hispanic now with 23% of the population being born in a foreign country. I'm alright with the Mexicans though. They are respectful, funny and work much harder than Americans do. Oh and they aren't trying to blow us up!! I think the British would be jealous of our immigrants.

Jane,

Texas is very heavy on the German culture as well with towns such as New Braunfels, New Berlin, Fredericksburg and Gruen. There is even a language called Texas German which is basically high German except they have different words for modern inventions. "Flugzeug" is something different in Texas German.

Overall there are more ethnic Germans in the US than any other ethnic group.

1. German
2. Irish
3. English
4. Spanish

I wonder if most Germans are even aware of this?? I wonder if they are aware that Germany is our 3rd favorite country after Canada and the UK??

They really need to do something about this anti-American media machine. They seem very intent on antagonizing us.

Also, Los Angeles and NYC are NOT the US!! The people in these cities think they are but they find out the hard way that they are not every time we vote for the president ;)